The handheld PC gaming market is experiencing a renaissance. What started with devices like Valve’s Steam Deck has blossomed into a competitive ecosystem, with ASUS, MSI, GPD, and Ayaneo all fighting for space. But hardware is everything in this segment, and in 2025 the question is no longer whether handhelds can deliver a console-class experience — it’s whose silicon powers it better.
Enter AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme and Intel’s Lunar Lake Ultra series. These two architectures are colliding head-to-head in handheld PCs like the MSI Claw 8, and early benchmarks show AMD pushing ahead where it matters most: performance per watt. Let’s dive into what these results mean, how they stack up, and why the Ryzen Z2 Extreme could signal another turning point for AMD’s mobile strategy.
The Contenders: Z2 Extreme and Lunar Lake
Ryzen Z2 Extreme (Z2E)
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Architecture: Zen 5 CPU + RDNA 3.5 GPU
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Cores/Threads: 8C/16T (hybrid efficiency/ performance optimized)
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GPU CUs: Up to 16 RDNA 3.5 compute units
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TDP Range: 15–30 W (configurable, handheld-friendly)
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Process: TSMC N4
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Key Feature: High gaming performance in a compact SoC, optimized for sustained power envelopes common in handhelds.
The Z2 Extreme is derived from Strix Point silicon but tailored specifically for handhelds. It sacrifices a little peak desktop-class throughput in exchange for predictable, consistent power scaling.
Intel Lunar Lake
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Architecture: Core Ultra 200V “Lunar Lake”
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Cores/Threads: 8 (4 Performance + 4 Efficient)
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GPU: Xe2 Battlemage architecture, up to 8 Xe cores
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TDP Range: 15–30 W
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Process: Intel 18A (TSMC N3 for GPU tile)
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Key Feature: Low idle power draw, advanced Xe2 GPU with XeSS AI upscaling, Intel’s best attempt yet at mobile gaming.
Lunar Lake is Intel’s most power-efficient design to date. Instead of chasing raw frequency, Intel refocused on efficiency scaling, with heavy reliance on Xe2 GPU uplift to keep pace with AMD’s integrated graphics.
Benchmark Showdown: MSI Claw 8 Results
Recent testing on the MSI Claw 8 handheld — one of the first Lunar Lake/Z2E platforms — gives us a head-to-head look at how these chips perform under equal conditions.
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At 17 W TDP: Ryzen Z2 Extreme leads by ~8.5% average FPS.
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At 30 W TDP: The lead narrows to ~6%, but AMD still holds.
This performance delta may not sound dramatic, but in handheld design, every percent counts. Unlike desktops, where power and cooling budgets allow for brute force, handhelds live in constrained envelopes where 10% can mean the difference between smooth 60 FPS gameplay and an inconsistent 50 FPS stutter.
Why Z2 Extreme Wins in Efficiency
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Zen 5 IPC Scaling – AMD’s new Zen 5 cores offer higher instructions-per-clock efficiency across gaming workloads.
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RDNA 3.5 GPU – Optimized for low-power operation, RDNA 3.5 maintains higher sustained clocks under TDP limits than Intel’s Xe2.
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Memory Bandwidth – AMD’s aggressive LPDDR5X memory controller delivers higher effective GPU bandwidth. Intel’s Lunar Lake has improved memory efficiency, but at equal wattages AMD’s unified design pulls ahead.
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Driver Maturity – RDNA drivers for handhelds (optimized via Steam Deck experience) give AMD a head start in gaming optimization.
Intel is closing ground — Xe2 is a leap over Arc Alchemist — but at low wattages, AMD’s architectural refinements keep it ahead.
Real-World Gaming Implications
The raw benchmark deltas translate into:
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Smoother frame pacing at sub-30 W. When targeting 1080p60 in modern games, AMD can maintain closer to 60 FPS without dips.
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Better thermals. At equal performance, Z2E often consumes slightly less power, meaning less fan noise and heat.
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Battery efficiency. In handhelds like the MSI Claw, that ~8% lead could equate to ~15–20 minutes more battery at similar performance targets.
For gamers, that means more consistent gameplay without cranking settings down, especially in demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Baldur’s Gate 3.
Platform Economics: Why AMD Is Winning Handheld Adoption
Handheld OEMs — from ASUS with ROG Ally to Ayaneo, GPD, and MSI — are embracing AMD for three reasons:
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Scalability: AMD can offer Strix Point, Z2E, and even Strix Halo in handhelds, giving vendors a spectrum of choices.
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Driver Ecosystem: Years of working with Valve and SteamOS optimization provide a software maturity edge.
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Licensing & Integration: AMD’s semi-custom experience (consoles, handhelds) makes them an easier partner than Intel, which is still gaining traction.
Intel has aggressively priced Lunar Lake to compete, but adoption remains lower. The MSI Claw 8 is one of the only major Intel handhelds, while AMD silicon dominates across the rest.
The Future of Handheld CPUs: What Comes Next
Looking forward, this rivalry will only intensify:
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AMD Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max+) will push handhelds closer to console-class performance with up to 40 CU RDNA 3.5 GPUs.
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Intel Panther Lake (2026) promises to address Lunar Lake’s GPU deficits with a refined Xe3 architecture.
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Battery Innovation: Both companies are working with OEMs on custom TDP scaling and smarter battery controllers to offset the biggest bottleneck of handhelds.
If AMD maintains a lead in efficiency and gaming optimization, it could cement its dominance in this fast-growing niche.
Conclusion
The early head-to-head between Ryzen Z2 Extreme and Intel Lunar Lake shows AMD continuing its pattern of dominance in handhelds. With an ~8% efficiency lead at 17 W and ~6% at 30 W, AMD isn’t just beating Intel in raw numbers — it’s delivering smoother, longer, and cooler gameplay where it matters.
Intel deserves credit: Lunar Lake is its strongest mobile architecture to date, and Xe2 graphics have closed much of the gap. But the ecosystem, developer support, and sustained performance scaling give AMD an edge that will be hard to overturn in the near term.
Handheld PCs are the new battleground for CPUs. And right now, the Ryzen Z2 Extreme stands at the top of the hill.
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